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Busch Stadium 5-17-2010

Another miserable day at the ballpark. Its May, and the crappy weather is still around. I can not wait for June-July baseball. Really, I can not wait. I hate coming to the ballpark, and wondering if batting practice will happen or not. It sits on my shoulders like a 2-ton bag of bricks. When there isnt batting practice, I get a real sick feeling inside of me. Not because the chances of me not getting a baseball are very high, its because I dont want to lose my streak! Alright. Enough ranting.

So batting practice was in full swing when I got to the stadium. I went to the right field gates to peak in, and sure enough the cage was set up but nobody was batting. So I returned to the thirs base gates, and waited. I thought about trying my luck on some easter eggs in the centerfield bleachers. I thought about it for probably the majority of the time I sat at the third base gates. I almost went. I held my position. It really did pay off this time. Once I entered the stadium, I was beat down to the base line wall by an older gentleman. He had a glove, and a backpack so I knew he was serious. But what he didnt see were two baseballs laying right underneath the front row directly behind him! I didnt hesitate. I wanted to take a snapshot but I needed to secure the baseballs. Two easter eggs were all mine! ( Note; on Mygameballs.com those two baseballs put us at lifetime baseballs 19,000 )

It wasnt long before another serious ballhawk showed up. Here is my competition.

The guy in the red coat, and the other guy in the grey t-shirt. Each one of those guys got one baseball a piece. I started the evening out with two. So I felt pretty good. Two more slow rollers came down the line, and those were easily snatched up by some other folks. We also had a hot chopper hit right to us, and I backed up to play it on the hop but I got hungup on the seats. Soon after that one, another one was hit right into the seats. It hit down in a seat that wasnt occupied, and I easily got it. After that happened one of the ushers showed up with a glove, and stood right in front of me. He scooped up an easy grounder that was headed right for me. I really hate it when these guys come out, and block others from getting a baseball. Its happened twice now, and its looking like my spot is no longer available. So I moved on.

I moved around the diamond looking for stray baseballs that maybe a coach or a player would throw me, but to no avail it didnt happen. I wondered if three was going to be my number tonight, and as I looked back down to my spot the usher had left, but batting practice was about to end. So I went up, and got me some grub, and waited on the Nationals to come out, and warm up. As soon as they did I perched on the spot, and called out to Ian Desmond. But he nodded to me, gestured that he was going to give the ball to a little kid. Well, I hate to encourage that in ball players because everyone is a fan, so I just eye-balled him hoping that would help change his mind. No dice. Adam Kennedy also had a ball, and I called out to him. No dice from him either.

And that was it. No other baseballs came my way. The umpires leave the field directly behind home plate. So if you have tickets to the expensive seats you can get a baseball from them. I think those tickets are like $230.00 but theyre all you can eat. Well, Im not spending $230.00 to sit behind home plate to wait on an umpire to throw me a baseball. I guess if I were desperate. But Im not.

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